Grant Gerlock

The Iowa Department of Human Services must expand mental health treatment at the Boys State Training School in Eldora, a state-run school for delinquent teenage boys.

A federal judge is also ordering staff members at the facility to limit the amount of time residents are placed in isolation and to no longer use a physical restraint device called “the wrap,” which U.S. District Judge Stephanie Rose equated with torture.

Iowa businesses, school districts and citizens continue to respond to the escalating COVID-19 pandemic. We'll be posting updates as more news regarding the spread of the virus in Iowa becomes available here for the week of March 29-April 4. 

The number of unemployment claims in Iowa spiked last week as businesses closed their doors to help slow the coronavirus outbreak. In one week, ending Saturday, 41,890 Iowa workers filed new unemployment claims – including those who work in Iowa but live out of state.

Iowa schools are sharing resources for families to keep students engaged while classes are cancelled to prevent the spread of COVID-19, although district officials caution they are not meant to replace lost time with teachers.

Updated on Thursday, March 12. Iowa's public universities are moving classes online from March 23 through April 3 as part of their strategies to contain COVID-19. The campuses at the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Iowa will remain open, including residence halls and dining halls. 

Drake University in Des Moines is asking students to stay home after spring break and attend classes remotely through at least April 3.

Go here for more on how universities are responding and the latest updates on COVID-19 in Iowa.

Original post on Tuesday, March 10: Iowa’s public universities are preparing to offer all classes virtually in order to stop the possible spread of coronavirus on campus. The Board of Regents is asking the campuses in Ames, Iowa City and Cedar Falls to share their plans by Thursday morning.

Republicans in the Iowa Senate have passed a bill that would require a portion of the state’s Medicaid recipients to work in order keep access to health coverage.

State lawmakers are behind schedule when it comes to passing funding for K-12 education. Republican leaders in the Iowa House and Senate still have not come to an agreement on how to reconcile their competing proposals.

Updated Thursday, February 20: The Labor and Business Relations Committee advanced a Medicaid work requirements bill (SSB 3158) Thursday, making it eligible for debate in the Iowa Senate.

An Iowa House subcommittee has passed a bill that would allow college athletes to earn money from endorsement deals, despite concerns raised by university groups that it would add to a growing patchwork of state laws.

Republicans in the Iowa Senate are advancing a religious freedom bill that opponents say would weaken civil rights protections. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (SF 508) would raise the legal threshold to enforce a state or local law when a person says it violates their faith.

This story was updated at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12. 

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday she can't comment on a lawsuit brought by former staff of the troubled state-run Glenwood Resource Center for severely disabled residents.

An Iowa House subcommittee passed a bill (HSB 615) Monday that would prohibit local ordinances from being stricter than state law for gun accessories such as high capacity magazines.

The wide-ranging proposal also states that if local governments ban weapons at public buildings, they must also provide screening and armed security.

Democratic caucus frontrunners Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg have requested the recanvassing of a total of 85 Iowa caucus precincts. 

Monday was the deadline for campaigns to request a recanvass, which is narrower than a recount and involves rechecking the precinct worksheets. 

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price apologized Tuesday afternoon for technical problems that caused a long delay in reporting the first results from the Iowa caucus.

The head of the Iowa Democratic Party says the party is manually verifying the results of Monday night’s first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses. 

A bill advancing in the Iowa legislature (SSB 3080) would encourage schools to set aside space for students who threaten violence toward teachers and classmates.

Schools will sometimes clear out a classroom when a student has a dangerous outburst. Under the bill advanced by a Senate subcommittee Thursday, those students could be placed in “therapeutic classrooms” to address behavioral problems.

Under a proposal moving ahead in the Iowa Senate, the Department of Human Services would take extra steps to confirm the eligibility of people receiving Medicaid and other forms of public assistance. The bill (SSB 3068) requires the agency to adopt a computer system to search state and federal databases for unreported income and other assets.

A proposal advancing in the Iowa Legislature would amend the state constitution to make it more difficult for lawmakers to raise income taxes. The amendment would require any income tax increase to be approved by a two-thirds majority in the House and Senate.

A bill that would allow county attorneys and assistant county attorneys to apply for professional weapon permits is taking a step forward in the Iowa Legislature. With a professional permit they would have the same authority as security guards and private investigators to carry a gun in most places where firearms are banned.

A proposal that would further protect the identities of children who are sexually assaulted or exploited is moving ahead in the Iowa Legislature.

Under the bill (SF 2005) from Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, assault victims who are kept anonymous during criminal trials could also have their privacy protected during related civil lawsuits. Also, a person who was abused as a minor would be able to hide their identity from the public if they report the incident to law enforcement as an adult.

The adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard says he is focused on keeping up recruiting and training as the state prepares to deploy more soldiers overseas.

Currently, about 100 soldiers and airmen are mobilized with U.S. forces. Speaking before Gov. Kim Reynolds and state lawmakers Thursday, Iowa Guard Maj. Gen. Benjamin Corell said he expects around 2,000 more to deploy in 2020 with units supporting command centers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is proposing to raise the state sales tax by one cent as one of her legislative priorities for 2020, but she wants it to be offset by a cut in income taxes.

The State Auditor’s office says it cannot determine whether home health care claims are being paid properly under Iowa’s privatized Medicaid system because data provided by the Department of Human Services is inaccurate and inconsistent.

With the 2020 census coming up, local groups are reaching out to populations that may have been underrepresented in the 2010 count. Dozens of Iowa cities, towns and nonprofits have set up Complete Count Committees to tell residents about the census, how to fill out the form and how it could impact funding from federal programs.

The former director of operations at the Metro Waste Authority in Des Moines is being accused of making at least $1.8 million in improper payments, including nearly $1.2 million to a shell company he created.

Dakota Access wants to nearly double the amount of oil flowing through its pipeline across Iowa, but first the Iowa Utilities Board must approve an amendment to the company’s pipeline permit.

The U.S. EPA is increasing the amount of renewable fuel that must be used by oil refiners in 2020, but Corn Belt lawmakers and farm industry groups said the agency is violating an agreement they reached with President Donald Trump aimed at making up for refinery waivers that undercut demand for ethanol and biodiesel.

A group representing Iowa’s largest chambers of commerce is urging lawmakers to take steps to grow the state’s workforce and restructure the tax system in the next legislative session.

Iowa has one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates, and businesses often struggle to find qualified workers. According to Dustin Miller, executive director of the Iowa Chamber Alliance, many people stop looking for work because they can’t find, or afford, childcare. He hopes to see a push to focus economic development programs on improving childcare access and quality.

Physicians from the University of Iowa will go to the Glenwood Resource Center to review residents’ health and their treatment charts, according to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating allegations of mistreatment at the center operated by the Department of Human Services, which cares for Iowans with intellectual disabilities. A Des Moines Register investigation revealed that state employees repeatedly raised concerns over an increase in injuries and deaths there.